A Union of Stags and Wolves
by kyla-b
Summary: It is a Game of Thrones AU set in the American civil war. Gendry is an escaped slave whose light skin allowed him to pass as a white man in the north. Arya is from a family of abolitionists working as a nurse for the union, until her father dies in battle and she decides to joins the fight herself to seek revenge. They meet in training camp and a friendship forms.
1. Chapter 1

**A Union of Stags and Wolves**

**Civil war a song of fire and ice AU where Arya has run away to fight for the Union and Gendry is a light skinned escaped slave passing as a white man in the north until he is conscripted.**

**a/n unfortunately I don't own any of these wonderful characters, they all belong to GRR Martin or HBO. I apologize for any historical or grammatical mistakes, this is my first fic so I hope you all enjoy**

Chapter 1 – Gendry 1849

Gendry's mother had always reminded him of the sun, with her bright yellow hair and golden toned skin, only her large brown hinted at her slave heritage. She had been purchased by Robert Baratheon when she was only fifteen and taken to the Kings Landing plantation in northern Georgia where she worked as a house slave. Gendry had been born less than a year later. It was an open secret that he was one of the master's many bastard sons among the slaves of the plantation. Gendry had been told he was the spitting image of his father at his age, his black hair and blue eyes were clearly from his father, as was light skin tone. Gendry was so fair he could easily pass as a white man. This illusion was aided by his clear blue eyes that were identical to his father.

Gendry loved his mother dearly she was a sweet women who would sing him to sleep and tell him stories of the north. She told him it was a land of freedom where there were no slaves. The first nine years of his life they lived together in relative peace. His familial relation to the master earned little special treatment, and Robert Baratheon wasn't a particularly cruel man thus conditions on the plantation were better than most.

Gendry worked as a house slave and his life went smoothly as long as he avoided the Mistress Cersei Baratheon and her eldest son Joffrey. Cersei was the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner Tywin Lannister and her marriage to Robert Baratheon had more economic than romantic motivation. She had an antipathy for her husband and was enraged by his dalliances with the slaves. Having little power to retaliate against her husband for his disrespect, she vented her anger on the slave women he took to bed and the illegitimate children he produced. She seemed to care little whether the women her husband slept with were willing participants or not.

When Gendry was nine her wrath turned on Gendry's mother after Cersei walked in on them at together in the master's study. Gendry was too young at the time to fully understand the implications of what was going on, but the entire household heard Cesrei's shrieks of rage followed by Robert's pounding footsteps as he ran from the house fleeing his wife's rage. His mother was taken outside and beaten for her supposed transgressions. Gendry did not understand why they were hurting his mother and tried desperately to intervene causing one of the older slaves Tobbo restrain him. The beating seemed to go on forever and the sound his mother made with every stroke was seared into his memory forever. The next day his mother was sold, he never saw her again.

Gendry had grown up hearing the horror stories of families torn apart, but losing his mother hurt more than he ever thought he could have imagined. After that he was sent to work in the fields. The work was harder, but Gendry was glad to be away from the dreadful people who had cost him his mother.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n I don't own these characters or the story, they belong to GRR Martin and HBO**

**Chapter 2 – Gendry**

**1850-1855**

Gendry life was largely uneventful for the next several years. It was constant stream of hard work and harsh punishments. He grew into a very large boy; he was half a head taller than many full grown men. He learned to accept the shaper pain of his mother's loss until it was more of a dull ache. Tobbo, the slave who had prevented him from interfering that day, took it into his mind to keep an eye on Gendry. Gendry liked the stories Tobbo told him, particularly anything about the north. The best stories were those about escaping to the north, where there was the possibility of freedom.

Everything changed at the Kings Landing plantation in the beginning of 1855 when the master dropped dead one night after dinner. It seemed slightly odd to everyone. The master was a fat old drunk, but he had always been healthy enough. Rumors of foul play circulated and many whispered of poisons, though no one was stupid enough to let their talk be overheard. The slaves muttered that poison was a women weapon and everyone made an extra effort not to displease the mistress.

Conditions on the plantation quickly deteriorated, Robert Baratheon had been no great man but when compared to his wife and son, he had been a saint. Joffrey Baratheon seemed to take a sick pleasure in inflicting pain; he especially enjoyed watching the women being whipped. Punishments became increasing longer and were doled out for even a minor offence. It made Gendry sick.

Soon Joffrey began to sell off Robert children that were among the slaves. Gendry was highly concerned about his fate.

A week before Gendry was to be sold Tobbo cornered him as they were coming in from the fields.

"We leave tonight boy." Tobbo stated softly, there was no one around to overhear, but he remained cautious. Gendry could barely process what he was hearing.

"Wh-hhat!" he spluttered. Tobbo covered his mouth to silence him.

"Don't ask questions just be ready to leave whenever I come for you." He said, leaving before Gendry could respond again.

Gendry didn't know whether to believe it or not. He was fifteen no longer a child and he realized just how rare it was to escape slavery. Still he was ready to leave at any moment.

Two nights later Tobbo came for him, they crept outside as quiet as possible, it was a cold winter night, but Gendry's heart beat much too hard for him to be effected by the weather. Once they were outside they broke into a run, not slowing at all, till far from the plantation and into the surrounding woods.

Gendry looked at Tobbo pondering the dark man beside him, "How long have you been planning this?" he asked.

"A while, but your kindly brother made it necessary to hasten my plans." Tobbo replied somewhat sarcastically. Gendry was awed to him escape had always been a dream that seemed entirely unattainable. It was hard to imagine his quiet caretaker had been planning on actually doing it all this time.

"Now come one boy we have to keep running, if we lucky they won't notice us gone until morning, but we can't count on it."

They met up with a black man and women at a river in the forest just before dawn. Gendry had panicked when he heard them approaching but Tobbo had told him that they were supposed to meet them. "That's our conductor he said, he'll get us up north." The woman was a fellow escapee.

The journey north was long and tense; they hid in forest and swamps during the day and ran all night. They often backtracked walked in streams and rivers whenever possible; it was all in an attempt to confuse their trail. They stopped at safe houses along the way, not exchanging names with their gracious host so that if they were caught later, the whole operation would not be compromised. They had travelled up from Georgia through the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and finally into Pennsylvania. Gendry had never felt giddier in his life than when he finally crossed into the north. He was not sure what the future held, but as long as he was a free man he knew it would be infinitely superior to his past.

**a/n next chapter will be arya's pov**


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n sorry this took so long i promise i didnt forget about this story but im a college student and things got super busy, but it is almost summer time so my writing pace should be picking up. i hope you guys like the first Arya chapter, but fyi it will still be a few chapter until arya and gendry meet. anyway hope you all enjoy**

**Chapter 3 – Arya**

** 1845 –1853**

Arya was born on January 10th, 1845 on her family estate in the town of Winterfell in upstate New York, Arya was the Starks fourth child and their second daughter. Arya was wild girl; she got on much better with her four brothers Robb, Jon, Brann and Rickon. She never interested in any of her of her sister Sansa's girly pursuits. She preferred to spend her time outside hunting and adventuring in the vast woods surrounding Winterfell. Arya was particularly close with her brother Jon who has five years older and her brother Brannwho was one year younger. Brann loved climbing trees always daring Arya to climb higher; while Jon was always there to catch them. It was Jon who really taught Arya how to hunt they started when she was only five and Arya always had an eye for shooting. Her mother would have complained more if they didn't bring in so much meat to eat, with six children they could always use the extra food.

The Stark family had always been involved in the abolition movement, Ned Stark was a very honorable man and to him it was clear slavery was immoral. He was also a patriot and was highly disturbed by the fact that slavery existed in a country he loved so much. Some of Arya earliest memories were of handing out abolitionist pamphlets with her parents and siblings.

Late in 1851 the Starks started taking in escaped slaves and helping them cross the border into Canada where they would be free. The year before the fugitive slave act was passed which allowed southern slave owners to recover escaped slaves anywhere inside the United States with the help of the Federal Government. Ned and Catelyn Stark like many northerners were appalled by the lengths taken by the slave hunters and became even more involved in abolition. Arya was only six so no one thought to explain any of this to her, but she did have in drilled into her that she was never to mention their guests to any of the neighbors and to find her brother or parents if she spotted any strangers on the property. Arya felt bad for their guest who had to stay in the Starks cellar for their entire stay, she felt especially bad for the children, though she liked how her mother actually encouraged her to hunt now.

Arya didn't really understand the seriousness of the situation until she was eight and on a trip into town when she was eight. She was at the tailors with her mother and her sister Sansa. The tailor was a free black man named the Jory and the Starks had been frequenting as long as Arya could remember. Arya was playing with his children in the corner of the room as Sansa admired the final touches being made to their mother's new dress. It was a peaceful day and although Arya did not generally like shopping she was content to play with the tailors children.

The tranquil scene abruptly ended when the door burst open and three strange men entered the shop. Arya noticed how Jory demeanor immediately changed, he seemed frightened to Arya.

"Gentlemen," he said, " You've made a mistake." The men ignored him and continued to approach.

"Gentlemen, I am a free man!" He continued sounding desperate now. The men continued to ignore him grabbing him and manhandling him towards the door. "No! This is a mistake! You are wrong, I'm free!" he continued to protest sounding terrified. Before anyone could really process what happened they were gone.

Catelyn grabbed her children and rushed home, "Ned!" She called when she arrived.

"Yes dear?" Ned replied confused by his wife's tone.

"Ned it was horrible!" she continued "The slave hunters dragged Jory right from shop in broad daylight! How can they do this he is no escaped slave, we knew his father!" She was clearly upset and speaking so fast Ned could barely understand.

"Calm down Cat, tell me exactly what happened." Ned said in his deep soothing voice. Catelyn recounted their outing and by the end of the story usual Ned's composed expression had changed, Arya had never seen him look so grave.

"Mamma, what happened? Why did they take Jory?" Arya questioned, she was confused and her parents' obvious distress made her nervous. Upon hearing question Arya's parents realized the girls were still present and told them to go outside and occupy themselves as they hand adult things to discuss. Arya hated being dismissed when she had so many questions, she new what slavery was but she didn't understand how those men could take Jory when he was no ones slaves, just their tailor. But she was always being told good children were seen not heard and she knew better than to disobey her parents when they were so distressed. She went find her brothers and tell them of her day. She found Jon first and when she told him the story it was him who answered her questions. Jon was only thirteen but he was a smart kid ad he liked to read the abolitionist literature. He told he about the fugitive slave act and how it allowed southern slave owners to track down escaped slaves in the north, and how the slave hunters could make extra money by kidnapping free black and sell into slavery. Arya was horrified when she fully understood what had happened to Jory.

Jory's wife and children were wife and children were their house guests the next night and when they vanished a few days later Arya understood that her family had helped them escape across the border into Canada.


End file.
